The Pope’s Exorcist, which is loosely based on Amorth’s case files, is now streaming on Netflix, with Academy Award–winner Russell Crowe playing the eccentric priest. The title reflects Amorth’s tenure as the appointed exorcist for the Diocese of Rome, which started with an apprenticeship in 1986 and continued through his death in 2016.

Amorth demonstrated a rather cavalier attitude towards exorcism. In his biography he wrote “an unnecessary exorcism never harmed anyone”. It is not as sensational as one might expect, though it is still fascinating- but its true importance and interest lie in its exposition of the fact that the devil and demons do exist, and that they are actively battling to win our souls for Hell. We must fight for our salvation with prayer, fasting, and the sacraments. This book is an excellent wake up call to humanity and to bishops who do not believe in the activity of demons and are not helping their faithful in need of exorcisms- a very sad time in the Church. The author also exposes many of the means by which we open the doors to the evil one, for example, wicca, the ouija board, even astrology- some things which a great deal of people engage in and believe to be perfectly innocent and good. Should you start to worry about the notion that facts are subjective and wonder if maybe there are alternative explanations for these utterly diverse phenomena - beware! Those who don't believe in the devil only provide proof of his existence.He also outlined the ritual itself was diagnostic. “Only through the exorcism itself can we determine with certainty whether there is a satanic influence,” he said. The use of exorcism has waxed and waned over the centuries. During the mid-20th century, many clergy thought exorcism had no place in modern Catholic theology. Amorth died at age 91 on September 16, 2016, after battling pulmonary illness, according to the New York Post. To account for the high number, Amorth purported that a person might be possessed by more than one demon at once, sometimes numbering in the thousands. He also attributed the number of exorcisms performed to his opinion that "People have lost the Faith, and superstition, magic, Satanism, or ouija boards have taken its place, which then open all the doors to the presence of demons." [15]

Exorcist". The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume V. New Advent - Catholic Encyclopedia. January 1909 . Retrieved 2007-03-03. As Christianity took hold across the Roman Empire, exorcism shifted from a form of charismatic lay-healing into a miracle carried out by figures of exceptional spiritual authority. From the 4th century, the liturgy of exorcism was refined as the early church assumed full authority over the ritual. An Exorcist Tells His Story was the perfect length for a seven-hour (approximately) car trip my husband and I took yesterday including pauses for discussion. We were held captive by the book from start to finish. Fr. Gabriele Amorth is the Chief Exorcist of Rome. He has performed hundreds of exorcisms over many years. However, prior to the movie’s theatrical release in April, the organization condemned the special effects–laden trailer, saying in a March 7 statement it “distorts and falsifies what is truly lived and experienced during the exorcism of truly possessed people.” Amorth’s Exorcism Accounts

Exorcism and the church

A minor exorcism consists of sacraments and blessings used to treat demonic influence. The priest will usually deliver a prayer, invocation or litany upon the afflicted. Lay people may also pray on the afflicted’s behalf. The stories, of exorcists facilitating exorcisms, all just sounds like... they're just copying each other, without even knowing whether the practice is safe, true, real, beneficial, helpful, healthy, and within Spiritual standards, which is - "In God's word."

On the one hand, Amorth is obviously a very intense, passionate and dedicated man. Exorcism that takes years, if not decades, to complete must stretch anyone. To have completed tens of thousands in his tenure as a Master Exorcist shows an immense focus. I can see he feels that many in the Church have lost their way and no longer recognise the full extent and powers given to them by right of their priesthood and faith. Maybe if this had been written more recently, or it had been written by someone with a more loving, understanding, and inclusive perspective....I could've been more patient with the pieces of the story (because it is a story) that don't make sense to me. I could have been understanding when things that I consider to be deeply meaningful in their symbology (and that reveal truth) are spoken as unattested historical fact. Also realistic in terms of talking about how demon possession/oppresion can have very few symptoms, and yet at the same time we shouldn't go around saying how everything is demonic, etc.Amorth, Gabriele (2006). Exorcisté a psychiatři. Kostelní Vydří: Karmelitánské nakladatelství. ISBN 80-7192-981-6. OCLC 85548700.